It wasn't until May of this year that I decided that I would attend the University of Massachusetts Lowell for college. My final decision was between NYU, Providence College, and Umass Lowell after narrowing out a few other schools. Despite Umass Lowell being my least favorite candidate of the three, I chose it as a result of the relatively low cost combined with the quality of education I would be receiving. Obviously a little bummed out about having to choose Umass Lowell over the other schools, I entered the first few days of school with a slightly pessimistic attitude. After those few days of classes my attitude on attending this school took a dramatic turn. I began to realize that I enjoy it here, and it's not as bad as I initially thought. There were certain perks I obtained from attending here that I wouldn't have had at either of the two other schools. Being so close to home in Lowell, I get to go home whenever I want and spend time with my family whenever I want, while having the freedom of living on my own at college. Looking at it now I'd say I made the right choice, and that I put myself in the right surroundings to succeed in whatever career field I choose to enter. As of right now it is bioinformatics, which is another plus for attending Umass Lowell, since it's an undergraduate program that is very rare at most colleges around the country. The reason being that bioinformatics is usually only offered as a masters degree at most universities to either biology or computer science majors. After telling you my own little scenario, I would have to say that place certainly does shape the development of a college student.
During the application process a high school student has the choice to apply to any school that they desire. They may want to apply there because of the location, quality of academics, certain majors, sports, or the cost of the school. Whatever the reason being, and where ever they apply, each school is going to have it's own unique feel and experience. Whether it's going to be good or bad who knows. The location of the school plays a very dramatic role in how a college student matures and grows into their own person. You can choose to go to a university in either an urban or rural setting. In a rural setting things are laid back and relaxed, as you are mainly confined to the campus of the university. You do meet many students from different parts of the country, and even the world, but you don't actually know anything about the types of things you'd see in different cities in the world. Campus based activities are an enormous part of life on small rural college campuses. Students are engaged inside and outside of the classroom with many clubs and community service activities. Life in urban universities in the United States, or any other country, is very much influenced by the city where the university is located, the size of the city, the cultural life, and the geography. Students have a much wider range of choice when it comes to entertainment, restaurants, food markets, living arrangements and the other parts of everyday life in cities than in rural areas. Going to college in these different types of locations may alter where the student wants to live after they graduate, the values they want to have, and where they want their future job to be. In part with the location of the school, students will be surrounding themselves with different types of people wherever they go, and who they are with all the time will shape who they are as a person. In one school a student might get in with a great crowd of successful students and develop the same qualities and desires as them. While on the opposite end, the student might get in with the wrong crowd at another school and potential ruin their lives. Each school has it's own experience to offer to every enrolled student.
Another major factor of how place shapes a college student is how good and recognizable the quality of education is at the university the student is attending. Depending on how well it is your classes and job outlook may be easier or more difficult than if you went to another school. If you go to a low "tier 2" school, your classes are going to be easier, and although you might have a higher GPA than a student at a middle of the line "tier 1" school, you may not be as qualified or ready for a job in the real world. Going to a better school may require a lot more work, and you may have a lower GPA, but when you get out of it you are more than prepared to tackle most job interviews. Having a lower GPA than accustomed to might lead to the student getting discouraged and not enjoy school like they should. This could lead to the student changing their major and any plans they had prior to attending the university. Also if a school has a better reputation, especially in a major city you are more likely to get linked up with someone who was a graduate of the university, or at least is very fond of what students from the university have to offer.
Each university has it's own cost to attend it. Depending on how much it costs, and if you have to pay for it yourself, you may be working a lot during the school year. The cost is also a limiting factor to where a student will end up attending college. If you have to work throughout college, the workload you receive from class will seem more painful than it really is. On the upside, if you are working while your in school you'll most likely develop a great work ethic and time management as a student. There is no time for you to be lazy so it would be hard to develop that attitude if you want to achieve success in your academics. Students who aren't working my be suspects becoming lazy because they may be used to having a lot of down time on their hands, that when they have to put in work they typically don't want to do it.
Not every school has the same majors to offer to its students just as I had explained in my case. Depending on the various limitations of location, quality, cost and other factors certain majors may not be available to a student. This may cause the student to chose a different career path that they might not know if it makes them happy, or if it's right for them. This may lead to a student finding out if they enjoy something they never thought they would, because where they had to attend forced them to choose something different. College is a very special place where opportunities arise, and you never know what will happen to you.
Place plays a major role in how a student matures in college as well as how they mature as a person for the world outside of the university. Each of the factors I linked above affect one another, and combined shape a college student. Each one of those factors varies from everyone of the 3600 plus higher education universities. At each of the universities there are several experience you will only find at that one school. The people you meet, and your surrounding environment will play a huge role in how you want to shape yourself, what you do, and how you go about everyday of your life. Where you attend college does play a huge factor in how you are molded into a college student, there are many unique wonderful and not so wonderful experiences waiting for you at each one. I know I'm still in the midst of mine now, and I'm happy to say I'm proud of the college student I'm shaping out to be.
